Attachment for piano foktes



(No Model.)

H. MALLEBRE.

MUFFLING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANO FORTES.

No. 448,448. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

WITNESSES:

MM W Y X27, )ZM BY ATTO/if UNITED STATES HENRY )LXLLPIBRIC,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NFAY YORK, N.

MUFFLlNG ATTACHMENT FOR PlANQ-FORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 448,448, dated March 17', 1891.

Application filed November 25, 1890. Serial No. 372.595. (N0 model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY MALLEBEE, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Muftling Attachn'ient for Piano Fortes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pianos, and especially to a device for muflling the sounds produced by means of the strings and hammers.

The object of my invention is to providea sound-mufl'ling attachment for pianos which can readily be adjusted for use whenever desired and which can readily be released or disengaged by a simple movement of the foot.

The invention consists in the combination, with the ordinary piano-pedal and an addi tional pedal, of a latch pivoted above one pedal for looking it in lowered position and a muftiing attachment composed of a strip of felt or analogous material secured to weighted pivoted levers in the casing, which mother can be operated from the pedal provided for the same.

The invention also consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, which will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the casing of an upright piano provided with my improved mufliing attachment. Figs. 2 and Sare side views of the mnftling attachment in different positions, parts being in section. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views of the several pedals, showing the mnfiling-pedal unlocked and locked, respectively; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line (3 6, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The piano-casing M is provided at the bottom with the three pedals A, B, and C, of which the pedal A is the usual forte-pedal, B the pedal for the muffiing attachment, and O the usual piano-pedal. The rod A, pivoted to the pedal A, serves for operating the forte mechanism, the rod B serves for operating the muffling attachment, and the rod 0, con

neeted with the pedal 0, serves for operating the usual piano mechanism. A latch D, pivoted to the bottom part of the casing on the inside, is so weighted that when the pedal B is depressed said latch swings upon the same and locks said pedal in its lowered position. Said latch is provided with an arm I), adapted to extend under the piano-pedal O when the latch holds the pedal B in lowered position. The upper end of the rod B is passed through one end of the lever E, pivoted at E in a suitable support of the casing, a nut B being secured on the upper end of the rod 13 above the lever E. On theopposite end of the lever E one end of a rod G rests, the upper end of which rod is pivoted to a lever H, pivoted on the inner side of one end wall of the casing M, a corresponding lever being pivoted to the inner surface of the opposite end wall of the casing, which two levers are connected by a bar J, to which a strip K of felt, leather, or analogous material is secured. Each end of the lever H opposite the one connected with the strip K is provided with a weighted end or knob L. The weights of the knobs L are snffieient to swing the opposite ends of the levers upward and keep them in raised position, thereby holding the mother K clear of the strings N, as shown in Fig. 3.

P are the pivots of the levers IL hen the mufiling attachment is to be used, the pedal B is depressed and is automatically locked in position by the latch D, as shown in Fig. 5. Thereby one end of the lever E is pulled downward, and the opposite end, supporting the rod G, is raised, whereby the levers II are swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 2, and the mufliingstrip K is brought between the strings N and the hammers 0, so that when the hammers are operated they cannot strike the strings directly, but strike the muffling-strip K, as shown in Fig. 2. When the mufiiing attach ment is not to be used, the pedal 0 is pressed downward, and acting on the arm D of the cam-latch D disengages said latch from the pedal D. When the pedal B is thus released, the weights L of the levers H swing the muffiing-strip K out of the way and into the position shown in Fig. 3.

In this application I have shown and described a pedal-locking device which I have shown, described, and claimed in myap'plication, Serial No. 362,068, filed August 25, 1890. Having thus described my invention, I

5 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a piano, the combination, with a pedal, of means for locking the same into lowered position, levers pivoted at opposite ends'ot' 10 the piano-casing, each lever having one end Weighted, and a mufiling-stri p connected with the opposite ends of said levers, and intermediate rods and levers for operating said levers from the above-mentioned pedal, sub- 15 stantially as set forth.

2. In a piano, the combination, with pedals,

of a latch pivoted above the one pedal and having an 'arm extending under an adjacent pedal, two levers pivoted to the piano-easing at opposite ends, one end of each lever being Weighted, a muffling-strip attached to the 

